State Candidates

Frequently Asked Questions

Major party candidates collect signatures and file a petition along with a consent of candidate form and a financial disclosure form in order to be placed on the ballot in the primary election. In order for a candidate to appear on the primary ballot, petitions, consent of candidate forms, and financial disclosure forms must be filed with the appropriate filing officer no sooner than the fourth Monday in April and no later than 5 p.m. on the fourth Thursday after the first Monday in May. 17 V.S.A. §2356.

Each candidate for non-federal statewide office, state senate, or state representative must also file a Financial Disclosure form prepared by the State Ethics Commission along with their petition and Consent of Candidate. County office candidates are not required to file a Financial Disclosure.

Each candidate for non-federal statewide office (Governor, Lt. Governor, Treasurer, Secretary of State, Auditor, and Attorney General) are also required to file his or her most recent IRS Form 1040. The law allows for certain information to be redacted

Major parties can also choose to nominate candidates for office, in the case of a vacancy by death, removal, or withdrawal of a candidate. See 17 V.S.A. §2381. The chair of the designated committee (depending on the office to be nominated) sets a date, time, and place for the meeting and gives five days’ notice to all members of the committee. If the chair of the committee has not called a meeting, then any three members of the committee may set the date, time, and place of meeting. Nominations by party committee must be filed with the Office of the Secretary of State.

Minor party candidates are nominated by party committee in order to be placed on the ballot in the general election. See 17 V.S.A. §2385. The statements of nomination, consent of candidate, and financial disclosure forms must be filed by the designated political party committee no sooner than the fourth Monday in April and no later than 5 p.m. on the Thursday prior to the primary. 17 V.S.A. §2386(c)(1).

Each candidate for non-federal statewide office, state senate, or state representative must also file a Financial Disclosure form prepared by the State Ethics Commission along with their petition and Consent of Candidate. County office candidates are not required to file a Financial Disclosure.

Each candidate for non-federal statewide office (Governor, Lt. Governor, Treasurer, Secretary of State, Auditor, and Attorney General) are also required to file his or her most recent IRS Form 1040. The law allows for certain information to be redacted

The chair of the designated committee (depending on the office to be nominated) sets a date, time, and place for the meeting and gives five days’ notice to all members of the committee. If the chair of the committee has not called a meeting, then any three members of the committee may set the date, time, and place of meeting.

All statements of nomination, consent of candidate forms, and financial disclosure forms, except those for justice of the peace, are filed with the Office of the Secretary of State. (Justice of the peace forms are filed with the town clerk.)

For forms and more information on the minor party nomination process, see our “Candidates” page.

Independent candidates file a statement of nomination (petition), consent of candidate form, and financial disclosure forms with the Office of the Secretary of State in order to be placed on the ballot in the general election. Independent candidates for Justice of the Peace file with the town clerk.

Independent candidate’s statements of nomination, consent forms, and financial disclosure forms must be filed no sooner than the fourth Monday in April and no later than 5 p.m. on the Thursday before the statewide primary (petitions for Independent Justice of the Peace candidates are filed with the town clerk no later than three days after the Primary.)

Each candidate for non-federal statewide office, state senate, or state representative must also file a Financial Disclosure form prepared by the State Ethics Commission along with their petition and Consent of Candidate. County office candidates are not required to file a Financial Disclosure.

Each candidate for non-federal statewide office (Governor, Lt. Governor, Treasurer, Secretary of State, Auditor, and Attorney General) are also required to file his or her most recent IRS Form 1040. The law allows for certain information to be redacted

Collect the appropriate number of signatures for the office, fill out the consent of candidate form and the financial disclosure forms, and submit them to the Office of the Secretary of State. Please note that all independent candidates (except for justice of the peace) must file with the Office of the Secretary of State. See 17 V.S.A. §2401.

No candidate appearing on the ballot as a candidate of an organized political party can appear on the ballot as an "Independent.". 17 V.S.A. 2403

Yes. You follow the same rules as an independent candidate. The statute states that the name has to be “substantially different from the name of any organized political party” and “from the political or other name already appearing on any other statement of nomination for the same office then on file with the same officer for the same election.” Except in the case of presidential and vice presidential candidates, the word “independent” may not be used as part of a party name.

If no party is indicated, the word “Independent” will be printed on the ballot. No candidate appearing on the ballot as a candidate of an organized political party can appear on the ballot as an “Independent.” 17 V.S.A. 2403

All statewide candidates file with the Office of the Secretary of State.

All candidates who run as Independents must file with the Office of the Secretary of State. Independent candidates do not file at the local level (except for independent candidates for justice of the peace, who file with the town clerk).

All minor party candidates must file with the Office of the Secretary of State. Minor parties do not file at the local level.

Each candidate for non-federal statewide office, state senate, or state representative must also file a Financial Disclosure form prepared by the State Ethics Commission along with their petition and Consent of Candidate. County office candidates are not required to file a Financial Disclosure.

Each candidate for non-federal statewide office (Governor, Lt. Governor, Treasurer, Secretary of State, Auditor, and Attorney General) are also required to file his or her most recent IRS Form 1040. The law allows for certain information to be redacted.

Any registered voter in your district. However, voters can not sign more than one petition for the same office, unless more than one nomination is to be made. For example, in a two seat state representative district, a voter could sign a petition for each of those two seats. See 17 V.S.A. §2354.

Whenever you want. Although Vermont Statute is silent on when to start collecting signatures on a petition, if you obtain signatures too far in advance, some of those signors may move from the town they lived in when they originally signed the petition, invalidating the signature.

Section 54 of the Vermont Constitution states that the offices of governor, lieutenant governor, Supreme Court justice, treasurer, member of Vermont House or Senate, member of the U.S. Congress, or sheriff, are incompatible offices, meaning the same person cannot serve in any of these offices at the same time.

Yes, however you cannot hold incompatible offices. In the event you were to win seats in two incompatible offices in the same election, you would have to resign your seat in one of those offices, creating a vacancy.

Under 17 V.S.A. § 2358, if the petitions do not conform, the officer with whom the petitions were filed has 72 hours to notify the candidate and supplemental petitions can be filed no later than 10 days after the date for filing petitions.

Yes. A person can withdraw no later than 5 p.m. on the Wednesday after the filing deadline by notifying the town clerk in writing. A candidate can withdraw from the general election up until 5 p.m. on the third day after the primary election.